Peruvian Meadowlark

SCI Name:  Leistes bellicosus
Protonym:  Sturnella bellicosa Mus.Mediol.Anim.Vert. cl.2 Aves p.15,32
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Icteridae / Leistes
Taxonomy Code:  permea1
Type Locality:  Lima, Peru, suggested by Zimmer, 1930, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. Publ., Zool. Ser., 17, p. 434.
Author:  de Filippi
Publish Year:  1847
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

LEISTES
(Icteridae; Ϯ Red-breasted Blackbird L. militaris) Gr. λῃστης lēistēs  robber  < λῃστευω lēisteuō  to rob (cf. λῃζομαι lēizomai  to plunder); "Sturnus prædatorius ... This notorious and celebrated corn-thief, the long reputed plunderer and pest of our honest and laborious farmers" (Wilson 1811); "I shall group these species together by the following characters under the generick name of LEÏSTES.  Rostrum crassum, rectum, basi altum, mandibulæ inferioris margine angulato; naribus rotundatis membrano partim tectis.  Alæ; remigibus 4^tis extimis fere æqualibus longissimis.  Cauda æqualis, rectricum apice angulato, rhachibus plerumque prolongatis, nudis.  Pedes mediocres, tarsis gracilibus.   The following birds may be referred to this group, the Oriolus Americanus, Gmel. being taken as the type.    Oriolus phœniceus. Linn. Syst. Vol. I. p. 161. sp. 5.  Icterus pterophœniceus. Briss. Orn. Tom. I. p. 97. sp. 12.  Le Commandeur. Buff. Ois. Tom. III. p. 214.  La Troupiale à ailes rouges. Pl. Enl. 402.  Red winged Starling. Cat. Car. Vol. I. t. 13.  Alb. Vol. I. t. 38.  Sturnus prædatorius. Wils. Am. Orn. Vol. 4. p. 30. pl. 30. f. 1, 2.     Oriolus Americanus. Gmel. Syst. Vol. I. p. 386. sp. 29.  Troupiale de Cayenne. Pl. Enl. 236. f. 2.  Red breasted Oriole. Lath. Gen. Syn. Vol. II. p. 430. sp. 14. - Vol. III. p. 120. sp. 43. Ed. 2^da.  Fœm.     Oriolus Guianensis. Linn. Syst. Vol. I. p. 162. sp. 9.  Icterus Guianensis, Briss. Orn. Tom. II. p. 107. sp. 18. t. 11. f. 2.  Troupiale de la Guiane, Pl. Enl. 536." (Vigors 1825); "Leistes Vigors, 1825, Zool. Journ., 2, p. 191. Type, by original designation, Oriolus americanus Gmelin = Emberiza militaris Linnaeus." (Blake in Peters 1968, XIV, 175).
Synon. Hylike, Pedotribes.

bellicosa / bellicosus
L. bellicosus  aggressive, martial  < bellicus  of war  < bellum, belli war.
● ex “Suirirí roxo obscuro” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 189 (Hirundinea).
● ex “Griffard” of Levaillant 1796, pl. 1 (Polemaetus).

SUBSPECIES

Peruvian Meadowlark (bellicosus)
SCI Name: Leistes bellicosus bellicosus
bellicosa / bellicosus
L. bellicosus  aggressive, martial  < bellicus  of war  < bellum, belli war.
● ex “Suirirí roxo obscuro” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 189 (Hirundinea).
● ex “Griffard” of Levaillant 1796, pl. 1 (Polemaetus).

Peruvian Meadowlark (albipes)
SCI Name: Leistes bellicosus albipes
albipes
L. albus  white; pes, pedis  foot  < Gr. πους pous, ποδος podos  foot.